What comes after DA polish? Panel wipe? Wash?

RippyD

RippyD

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Getting ready to get swirls and scratches out of 2015 4Runner with Attitude Black paint (black with blue metallic flakes).

Planning to use Ultimate Polish and a 5.5" Lake Country white pad. My question is what happens after that? I see that many people just wipe off the polish. I'd like to get all the polish ingredients off the clear coat. I don't want to use an IPA panel wipe - Toyota paint is too soft. Would a 128:1 mix of Megs D114 work, followed by a water wipe down? Should I get a dedicated non-alcohol panel wipe product? People are using panel wipes rather than soap for a reason - wondering if I need to do so. Will likely be applying DG 111/601.

And to get ready for a sealant, do I need anything after Ultimate Polish? Should I use a finer product and blue or black pad afterward (Megs #82 or #85, Wolfgang polish enhancer, various glaze products)?
 
Oh boy... You're way overthinking it. If it was me, I'd go straight to sealant right after the Ultimate Polish. I've never used the Duragloss, but I've never had any issues whatsoever with any other sealant bonding after Ultimate Polish or M205.
 
Thanks for the reply. I would be thrilled if that's the case. If more steps and products are unnecessary I'll be glad to not spend the time.
 
RippyD said:
Getting ready to get swirls and scratches out
of 2015 4Runner with Attitude Black paint
(black with blue metallic flakes).

Planning to use Ultimate Polish and a
5.5" Lake Country white pad.

My question is what happens after that?
Click to expand...
IMO:
Depending on the severity of the swirls
and scratches...along with meeting your
expectations/satisfaction...

You should use the above UP/LC white
pad combination as "The Test Spot".

Afterwards: using a panel wipe-down
will determine if you'll need to use
a more aggressive product, or not, to
meet the above criteria.
{Note: that combo has a reputation
of not being overly aggressive)


And:
Unless the LSP (Wax, Sealant, Coating)
specifically states to perform "panel wipe-
downs" before they're applied...then,
accordingly:
After performing "Test Spots" (for inspection
purposes) would be the only time I would
do any "Panel Wipe-downs".



Bob
 
Inspection is the primary reason I want to do a wipe down. I don't want oils in the polish to hide any swirls. So the question is what I can use if I want to avoid alcohol? Mike has effectively scared me off it - last thing I need to do is make soft paint softer and create more problems.

Can I used D114? Do I need a dedicated panel wipe?
 
RippyD said:
Inspection is the primary reason
I want to do a wipe down.

I don't want oils in the polish
to hide any swirls.
Click to expand...
If the LSP doesn't call for it to only be
applied to "squeaky-clean" surfaces...

Then why wouldn't the wipe-down
of "The Test Spot" be enough?


Bob
 
ski2 said:
"Planning to use Ultimate Polish and a 5.5" Lake Country white pad."

Hope you're planning to use more than "a Pad"
Click to expand...
Have a bunch of pads on the way, but only 3 white ones. Better get more headed my way.
 
FUNX650 said:
If the LSP doesn't call for it to only be
applied to "squeaky-clean" surfaces...

Then why wouldn't the wipe-down
of "The Test Spot" be enough?
Click to expand...
Well... I'm not really sure. I was hoping to inspect the whole truck as I go to ensure it looks good and that I've gotten all the swirls/scratches out. I may have more or less work elsewhere than my test spot depending on several factors, including me getting more proficient as I go. I'm also new to this would rather not overdo it on the polishing. So more checking might be prudent.
 
That covers the wipe down question pretty well. Thanks.
 
Did a little more reading. I get that depending on my LSP (or NTLSP - next-to-last since I may use AW or wax on top of my sealant) I don't need to remove the fillers from a polish. But I would like to see how the clear coat looks without fillers masking it.

Ultimate Polish is perhaps the wrong choice - it appears to have a fair amount of polishing oils (or so I've read). This isn't what I want. Optimum polish seems to leave very little behind. Others may not leave much as well. Rather than worrying about how to remove polish I just use one that doesn't leave much behind.

Also looked at some panel wipes. The ones I checked have alcohol. Since I want to avoid alcohol that's not the way to go.
 
RippyD said:
Did a little more reading. I get that depending on my LSP (or NTLSP - next-to-last since I may use AW or wax on top of my sealant) I don't need to remove the fillers from a polish. But I would like to see how the clear coat looks without fillers masking it.

Ultimate Polish is perhaps the wrong choice - it appears to have a fair amount of polishing oils (or so I've read). This isn't what I want. Optimum polish seems to leave very little behind. Others may not leave much as well. Rather than worrying about how to remove polish I just use one that doesn't leave much behind.

Also looked at some panel wipes. The ones I checked have alcohol. Since I want to avoid alcohol that's not the way to go.
Click to expand...

I've never had a situation where I used Ultimate Polish and had it turn out to be a pretender. IMO those so called polishing oils that might be able to hide swirls only apply for someone who would be working by hand.. As long as you're using at least a polishing pad, working the polisher with the proper amount of pressure and the correct amount of time there shouldn't be a problem.

Just treat it like a normal polish, that's all. The stuff permanently removes swirls & minor scratches. There's no way I'll be convinced otherwise after having used it many times.
 
You are over thinking this way too much. Just go ahead polish and seal and enjoy your work. The oils in ultimate polish are not going to fill that much anyway. If anything it will darken the paint.
 
The Guz said:
You are over thinking this
way too much.
Just go ahead polish and seal
and enjoy your work.
Click to expand...
^^^ :iagree: ^^^

Now...
If you'd rather not...then:
I'll be forced to comment on
the complexities your below
post brings to the fore.

{You know...Things like:
-what are "fillers"
-what kinds of "alcohols"
-etc.}

RippyD said:
Did a little more reading.

remove the fillers from a polish.

I would like to see how the clear
coat looks without fillers masking it.

Also looked at some panel wipes.
The ones I checked have alcohol.

Since I want to avoid alcohol
that's not the way to go.
Click to expand...


Bob
 
Some info on panel wipes:

  • GTechniq: Ethanol (up to 90%), Propylene glycol, Ethyl Acetate. (Doesn’t specify the purity on the ethanol – guessing it’s mostly water.)
  • U-pol Panel Wipe: > 90% low boiling point naphtha
  • Carpro Eraser: 30% isopropyl, 1-3% detergent, 1% odor stuff, the rest water
  • Menzerna Top Inspection: could not find MSDS
  • Griots Paint Prep: could not find MSDS

Info on two polishes:

  • Ultimate Polish – 5-10% mineral oil
  • Optimum Polish – lists no hazardous ingredients and states it’s water-dispersible (not sure what that means)


Bottom line is that many of you get great results and don't sweat this stuff. Likely not worth bothering. But I'm an engineer and I dislike not knowing how things work, or why.

Bottom line 2: Finished one panel on the 4Runner by hand. Didn't get it perfect, by 95% of marks are gone using UP. Then used 601/111. Then topped With Collinite 845. Paint on that panel almost looks 3D - the blue flakes look like their floating now. Not sure if that the combo or just the Collinite. Given the ease of application I'm tempted to just use Collinite every 3-4 months.

Bottom line 3: Wife just told me she wants to sell her 4Runner. I just figured out how to make this thing pop. And my car is white. At least I got a good start to my detailing education.
 
RippyD said:
But I'm an engineer and I dislike not knowing how things work, or why.
Click to expand...

As am I. But sometimes it's not worth stressing over or over thinking it. Mike's article covers it pretty well. That doesn't mean you can't experiment. Try it on one panel and see if you notice anything different compared to the panel that is polished and sealed.

If you were going the coating route then by all means use some sort of paint prep as a coating needs to bond to bare paint.
 
RippyD said:
But I'm an engineer and I dislike
not knowing how things work, or why.
Click to expand...
Yet it appears you performed "topping",
without knowing for sure how...or if...
it works.

RippyD said:
...used 601/111.
Then topped With Collinite 845.
Paint on that panel almost looks 3D - the
blue flakes look like their floating now.

Not sure if that the combo or just the Collinite.
Click to expand...
Contradictory, or no?


Bob
 
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